


Hey, Sister

by rakketyrivertam



Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Cybertronians Superior Humans Inferior, Gen, Pronoun Change, Trans Sideswipe, Transitioning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2019-09-20
Packaged: 2020-10-24 22:56:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20713913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rakketyrivertam/pseuds/rakketyrivertam
Summary: It's time for Sideswipe's final upgrade into adulthood.





	Hey, Sister

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this to cope with a really bad dysphoria day today. It's not my best work, but it helped, so.

_Final Upgrade_, Sideswipe’s HUD pinged. He groaned and rolled over in the berth.

In the bunk above, Sunstreaker started humming a familiar annoying tune. “Happy birthday to you-ˮ

“We’re Cybertronians, we don’t have birthdays.”

“You’ll miss your appointment with Wheeljack and Ratchet.”

“Too early,” Sideswipe moaned, but swung his peds over the side of the berth just the same, nearly vibrating as the excitement set in.

Sunstreaker went back to humming his little ditty, then paused. “See you on the other side, Sister.”

Sideswipe grinned and continued on his way to the infirmary.

“Alright,” Ratchet said, cracking his knuckles. “I wish we had a better facility for this, but I’m not so cruel as to make you wait until we get back to Cybertron.”

“Wanna review the specs one more time, Sides?” Wheeljack called from his console. On a berth nearby, there were parts laid out in the rough shape of a femme.

Sideswipe sidled up to the monitor and scanned the form he had put together with the help of the other two mechs. “Looks good.”

“Alright,” Ratchet said. “You’ve never had a femme upgrade before, so Warpath, Kup, and Arcee put together a data dump for you, with some Earth cultural notes from Carly as well. Did you know, I noticed they used multiple pronoun forms, but apparently, they’re frame-specific. Femmes are ‘she’, and mechs are ‘he’, and upgrades are really hard to get, so people are forced to go around listening to everyone use the wrong ones.” Ratchet sniffed. “Their medical practitioners ought to be ashamed.”

Wheeljack laughed and patted his bondmate’s arm. “’She’, huh? I like the sound of that. I bet the humans were really confused when you told them how things work on Cybertron.”

Ratchet shrugged. “Apparently, Spike’s carrier upgraded to mech. The only reason he’s not around anymore is because Sparkplug is ‘straight’. That part I don’t get. Humans are typically very curvy. Anyway, he’s travelling and has a new bondmate now, and he sends them both little squares of paper with pictures on them called ‘postcards’. Sparkplug said the ‘breakup’ and ‘divorce’ were amicable, apparently those are the terms for dissolving a spark bond. I don’t know why it wouldn’t be, it’s not like it was anyone’s fault. I mean sometimes, bots are just evil, like Mesothulas, for example” he growled, optics constricting, “but for the most part-”

Sideswipe cleared his throat. “I like ‘she’.”

Ratchet nodded. “Right. Well, I’ll let Optimus know for your presentation ceremony. Now, if there’s no last minute changes, go ahead and lay right down here. I’ll put you offline and then reboot you when the upgrade’s done so you can process the data dump in recharge. Normally, this data dump comes straight from Vector Sigma, so it might be a little less informative than usual, but the others did their best.”

Sideswipe smiled. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.” And with that, she offlined her optics and settled into recharge as she waited for Ratchet to be ready.

* * *

Sideswipe onlined with a whirr, looking over to see her twin hovering. “Thought you had guard duty?” She blinked and touched her new vocalizer. “Oh, wow.”

Sunstreaker stared a moment. “That’s going to take some getting used to.” He shook his head. “I’m supposed to escort you to the party.”

“Now?”

“Ratchet said to give you a minute to get used to your new frame, but yeah.” Sunstreaker tilted his head, pushing his curiosity through their twinspark. “What’s it like?”

Sideswipe swung her legs over the side of the berth and looked down at her new body. “Like being me.”

“Well, finally.” Sunstreaker beamed and hopped to his peds, holding out a hand to escort his sister down the halls. “There’s only room for one mech as pretty as us on this rock, and it’s me.”

Sideswipe laughed, settling on her feet and taking surer steps every time. “Alright, take me to this party.”

The twins made their way to the rec room, following the sound of Blaster’s music. By the time they reached the doorway, Sideswipe was walking by herself, perfectly comfortable in her new frame.

The moment she walked into the room, cheers rose from every corner, and more than one appreciative whistle.

“My optics are up here!” Sideswipe shouted, only half joking.

The others laughed.

Optimus stood and walked over, his presence demanding everyone’s attention as he put a hand on Sideswipe’s shoulder. “Sideswipe of Kaon, you have finished your last mandatory upgrade and are now considered an adult in the eyes of all Cybertronians here. You have chosen the femme frame, in honor of Solus Prime, our great founder of innovation and life. May Solus’ ambition guide you on the path to victory, and… _her_ compassion guide you on the path to peace.”

A few Autobots started whispering among themselves at the new word.

Optimus silenced them with a look. “You have also chosen to adopt the customs of our human hosts,” he enunciated clearly, “and refer to yourself with the pronoun ‘she’. Our Autobot culture is deeply entrenched in the ability to choose your own path, it is the reason we are fighting this war. Know that every bot here respects the choices that you have made to get to this point.” Optimus smiled gently. “And know that should you choose again, and choose different, no bot will think less of you. You are the master of your destiny. Have you chosen a new designation?”

“Astraclash,” Jazz coughed into his fist.

Prowl elbowed him in the side.

Sideswipe shook her head. “I like the one I chose last upgrade.”

Optimus smiled under his mask. “Then, Autobots, I present to you your comrade and officer: Lieutenant Sideswipe of Kaon, femme in the service of Solus Prime, the service of all Primes after, and the service of her fellow Cybertronians. Til all are one!”


End file.
